Certain methods and systems for blending treatment fluids include at least one of proppant or diverters for use in well treatment operations. In one embodiment, the methods comprise receiving a base fluid; mixing an additive to a portion of the base fluid to form at least a portion of the well treatment fluid; and supplying the portion of the well treatment fluid to at least one or both of a first discharge pump selectively fluidically coupled to a mixer and a second discharge pump selectively fluidically coupled to the mixer. A plurality of valves are operated so as to select one of the first discharge pump and the second discharge pump to receive a flow of the portion of the well treatment fluid from the mixer.

Dust produced by handling proppant during fracking or other mechanical operations can be a health and/or safety hazard. The dust can be eliminated or at least mitigated using a method of conducting a hydraulic fracturing or other mechanical operation on an oil or gas well including treating a proppant that has been transported to an end use site at a level sufficient to prevent the formation of dust during handling of the proppant.

A system for blending polymers and other chemicals in an aqueous liquid is provided. Static mixers and tubes, preferably in one or more tube bundles, provide a volume sufficient to allow a residence time in the system to hydrate a polymer. Static mixers may be integrated with a tube bundle. The system may be mounted on a portable base such as a trailer. The concentration of polymer and chemicals in water may be controlled by a controller. A variable speed electric pump may be utilized to precisely control the amount of polymers or other chemicals added to the aqueous liquid.

A system and method for delivering a treatment fluid to a wellbore by emulsifying the treatment fluid with a continuous fluid in a flowline. The treatment and continuous fluids are combined in a mixer that is separate from containers that retain the fluids. In an example where the mixer is a venturi, the continuous fluid flows into an inlet on an entrance end of the venturi, and the treatment fluid flows into an inlet that is at a flow restriction in the venturi. The continuous fluid experiences a localized decrease in pressure at the restriction, which is due to a localized increase in flow rate at the restriction. The pressure decrease induces the treatment fluid into the venturi, where the treatment fluid is dispersed into droplets within the continuous fluid, and that forms a treatment emulsion. The treatment fluid escapes from within the treatment emulsion when in the wellbore.

The present invention provides a method and system for providing on-site electrical power to a fracturing operation, and an electrically powered fracturing system. Natural gas can be used to drive a turbine generator in the production of electrical power. A scalable, electrically powered fracturing fleet is provided to pump fluids for the fracturing operation, obviating the need for a constant supply of diesel fuel to the site and reducing the site footprint and infrastructure required for the fracturing operation, when compared with conventional systems.

A method of hydraulic fracturing of an oil producing formation includes the provision of a heating apparatus which is transportable and that has a vessel for containing water. A water stream of cool or cold water is transmitted from a source to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at ambient temperature. The mixer has an inlet that receives cool or cold water from the source and an outlet that enables a discharge of a mix of cool or cold water and the hot water. After mixing in the mixer, the water assumes a temperature that is suitable for mixing with chemicals that are used in the fracturing process, such as a temperature of about 40120 F.+(4.4-48.9 C+). An outlet discharges a mix of the cool or cold and hot water to surge tanks or to mixing tanks. In the mixing tanks, a proppant and an optional selected chemical or chemicals are added to the water which has been warmed. From the mixing tanks, the water with proppant and optional chemicals is injected into the well for part of the hydraulic fracturing operation.

Provided herein are solids removal systems for dehydrator systems comprising a large rotating paddle, a small rotating paddle, and a drive shaft. The dehydrator system also includes a core dehydrator and a mixing unit. The core dehydrator comprises a plurality of small deflector plaques in fluidic communication with a plurality of large deflector plaques. The mixing unit includes a rapid mixing manifold in fluidic communication with a plurality of vertical flocculators and the core dehydrator. The large rotating paddle and the small rotating paddle of the solids removal system are connected to the drive shaft and configured to remove solids from the core dehydrator.

An improved system and method for fluidizing dry powder-based additives into downhole well operations utilizes a dried, low-volume air stream and an ejector nozzle in order to disperse the powders into a liquid stream. In an embodiment, the system can be placed on a powder blending trailer in order to convey additives directly from bulk transport bins into a liquid stream, through the use of an atmospheric pressure hydration tank fitted with a cyclone separator to ensure an even dispersal into the liquid stream.

A mobile chemical mixing plant includes an inlet for receiving fluid; a fluid conduit for conveying the fluid from the inlet; a container for containing a chemical therein; a chemical pump for withdrawing the chemical from the container and directing the chemical into the fluid conduit for mixing with the fluid in the fluid conduit to form a chemical mixture; and a homogenization pump for pumping the chemical mixture in the fluid conduit out of the mobile chemical mixing plant. The fluid conduit connects the chemical pump to the homogenization pump. The mobile chemical mixing plant is fixed to a trailer that is attachable to a vehicle. Because the fluid conduit directly connects the chemical pump to the homogenization pump, the mobile chemical mixing plant does not need an intervening mixing tank for mixing the fluid and the chemical.

Embodiments of the present invention include a method and system for blending multi-component granular compositions such as proppant used in hydraulic fracturing in well drilling. The system includes the control and management of an on-site storage system for each of the components, regulating the delivery of specified quantities of each component to a well site, and coordinating the flow of materials into and out of the blender.